Conveyer sealing device



Feb. 19; 1952 H. W. HAPMAN CONVEYER SEALING DEVICE Filed June 17, 194s Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE coNvEYER sEALING DEVICE Application June 17, 1948, Serial No. 33,629

rIhis invention relates to night conveyors and, in particular, to sealing devices for sealing certain portions of the conveyor conduits in order to prevent the leakage of nuid between the conveyor nights and the conduit wall, especially when the interior of the conduit is under pres- One object of this invention is to provide a pressure-sealing device for night conveyors wherein the conduit is provided with a resilient tubular portion which can be mechanically constricted so as to cause the inner walls of the resilient portion to snugly engage the peripheries of the nights as they pass by, thereby preventing the escape of nuid or solid matter under pressure past the rims of the nights.

Another object is to provide a pressure sealing device for night conveyors wherein the mechanical constricting mechanism is of simple yet effective construction, so that the entire device may be manufactured at low cost and quickly and easily installed or repaired.

Another object is to provide a pressure-sealing device for night conveyors wherein a gap is provided between the relatively rigid portions of the conveyor conduit, and a tubular member of elastic deformable material such as rubber or synthetic rubber is connected between the ends of the gap so as to continue the conduit, a mechanical compressing device or constrictor being` applied to the resilient tubular member to urge its inner wall into snug but yielding contact with the conveyor flights during their travel through the conduit.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in central longitudinal section, of a portion of a flight conveyor employing the pressure-sealing device according to a preferred form of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section along the line 2-2 in Figure 1, showing how the resilient tubular insert is clamped to the end of the relatively rigid conveyor conduit; and

Figure 3 is a cross-section along the line 3 3 in Figure 1, showing the mechanical constrictor or mechanism for circumferentially compressing the resilient tubular insert against the conveyor flight peripheries.

The present invention is a further improvement upon and a simplification of the night conveyor sailing devices shown in my co-pending applications Serial No. 735,401 filed March 18, 1947 and now Patent No. 2,564,599 granted August 14, 1951, Serial No. 15,368 filed March 17, 1948, and

1 Claim. (C1. 198-168) 2 Serial No. 24,580 filed May 1, 1948, for Self-sealing Conveyor Construction, Pressure-sealed Conveyor System, and Flight Conveyor Sealing Device, respectively. The present invention provides a different manner of urging the conveyor conduit into sealing contact with the peripheres of the conveyor flights.

In general, the present invention consists of a resilient tubular member which is adapted t0 be inserted in a gap in a night conveyor` conduit at a location where the user Wishes to seal the conduit against the escape of pressure. The resilient tubular member is of elastic deformable material, such as rubber or synthetic rubber and is clamped at its opposite ends to the adjacent ends of the relatively rigid conveyor conduit. A constrictor or encircling member extending around the resilient tubular member'enables the latter to be compressed and thereby caused to snugly engage the peripheries of the disc flights of the night conveyor so as to prevent the escape of pressure from the spaces between the nights, these spaces in effect forming chambers to which nuid under pressure may be admitted, such as when the conveyor is employed in steam pressure or air vpressure systems. The conveyor nights themselves are preferably of elastic deformable material, such as rubber or synthetic rubber.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures l to 3 vinclusive show a portion of a pressure-sealed night conveyor, generally designated I0, having a flight conveyor sealing device, generally designated II, according to a preferred form of the present invention, and 'inserted in a gap in the night conveyor conduit, generally designated I2, and having opposite end connectors I3 and I4 secured to the free ends I5 and I6 of the conveyor conduit I2. The connectors I3 and I4 have nanges I1 bolted as at I8 to corresponding flanges I9 welded to the conduit ends I5 and I6, with a gasket 20 interposed therebetween to prevent leakage.

A conventional flight conveyor unit, generally designated 2|, extends through the conduit I2 and sealing device II and, for purposes of illustration and not limitation, consists of an endless chain generally designated 22 having outer and inner links 23 and 24 interconnected by pivot pins or bolts 25. Secured to the outer links 23 are approximately semi-circular flight clamping plates 26 arranged side by side to form substantially circular discs with a diametrical gap between them. The clamping plates 26 are secured by any suitable fasteners, such as bolts (not shown) on opposite sides of the circular night,

discs 21'. The latter have peripheral edges 28 engageable with the inner Walls of the conduit I2, and sealing device Il and are preferably formed of rubber or synthetic rubber of the general class of materials known generically as elastic deformable material. The details of the flight conveyor 2l lie outside the present invention, Vand any suitable conveyor maybe used, such'llaspfor lexample, the one shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 676,546 filed June 13, ,1946, for Flight Conveyor. Actually, the clampingfplates 26 have forwardly projecting ears which extend parallel with the outer links 23 'of 'thechain 22 and are secured in assembly therewith "by the pivot pins or bolts 25.

The flight conveyor sealing device II consists of a resilient tubular member 30fhavinjg counterbored or countersunk portions 3| at its opposite ends, these countersunk portions 3I being of substantially the same thickness as the wall thickness of theconnectors -V I3 .fand I4 l'so l that the-bore 32 thereof -is substantially "flush Vwith the inner Wall 33 ofthe tubular i member 30. The tubular member `30 is preferably of elastic deformable material, such as rubber Y orsynthetic rubber, so as to be compressible against theconveyor ilights 21. The opposite ends of the tubular member 3U are securedto' the end connectors I3 and I4 by clamps`34. 'Theclamps 34 are of any suitable type, lthose shown for purposes of 1.

illustration consisting of semi-circular bands 35 having radially extending lugs 236 (Figure 2) clamped `together by clamping bolts 31.

In order to compress 4the tubularmember '30 inthe Vma-nner shown in 'Figure 1, the sealing device Il isprovided Ywith vra mechanical constrictor, generally designated 4U. This lconstrictor '4B mayobviously take several forms since its function is to encircle theresilient tubular member 30 and forcethe latter'inw-ard against l theediscrflights 21. For purposes'ofA illustration, but notvlimitation, the constrictor finds-shown as lconsisting Voi --a band 4I -of metal-or other suitable flexible material (Figure i3),'lpreferably sheet-material, having overlapping` edgeVV portions 42 f and `13 respectively. Secured as by welding to the `overlapping edge :portions-.42 and "43 are the arcuate flange portions 44-of1an'gle members 45 loi approximately L-shaped cross-section, lthe projecting ilanges 46-ofvwhichvare-lprovided with spaced holes v11 to receive vclamping bolts 48. The1ends`49of the band 4I vpri-:ferably 1'-terniinate inwardly from the ends-f50fofthe -endconnectors I3 and I4, so as to provideal resilient portion 5I therebetween which -is free from --the i constrcting action of the constrictor 40 and from the clamping action of the clamping members 34.

In the operation of the invention, the flight conveyor 22 is trained through the conduit I2 in the usual Way and caused to pass through the sealing device 40 before the clamping bolts f48llare tightened. When'the ends of the conveyor have `been tra-ined iaround rwhatever sprocket (not shown) is used for driving purl'poses, the clamping bolts 48 are carefully tightened-to bring the anges 46 closer together and cause the band 4| to compress the tubular member l311 :and causeaits inner Wall 33 to become of smallerldiameter. 1This, in turn, causes the inner Wall to snugly engage the peripheral edges 28- of the flight discs 21 as tightly as is necessary,

consistent with the amount of pressure to be sealed and the ease of motion desired for the conveyor 22. This constriction brought about by the constrictor 4B, thereby decreasing the linner-diameter yof the Vtubular member v'341, is shown 1 in Figure :l tat `the .left-hand vend 'of v'the Aconstrictor 10. and is :somewhat .exaggerated `for purposes of clearness of showing.

Whatll claim is:

A flight conveyor :sealing device for 'insertion in a gap in a conduit traversed by a flight conveyor, .saidvsealinglclevice comprising a resilient tubular member Jhaving '.albore therethrough '-for the passagebf said-hilight conveyor, clamping members securing the 'opposite ends of said tubular-member toithe-ends o'f said conduit at saidfgapfand aiconstrictor encircling saidtubular member -and' having-tightening elements connected thereto, `said constrictor comprising -a flexible band extending around `said tubular member land"-having opposite overlapping free longitudinal c edge "portions f extending lengthwise of Vsaid tubular member,A said tightening' elements beingsecured between'ispacedmarts"of said edge portions.

"HENRY `W.

REFERENCES YBITED l `The following references-.are f -recordin the le'of this patent:

A UNITED STATES. VPATENTS Number itName Date 1,048,019 Wilson `Dec. 24, 1912 l13242060 smaken ;octgz, 1917 72,183,835 Foulke Dec. 19, '1939 '`2`;357;651 -Ha-pman Septf5`, 1944 

